RICE'S DEFEATS.

NZ Truth, Issue 968, 18 October 1924, Page 10

RICE'S DEFEATS.

A Few Observations. Sydney "Sportsman" has the following to say on Ernie Rice: "Here are a few items that may cause' the thinker to gaze questioningly at the form displayed by Englishman . Rice m this country. "He comes here a reputed hard man. One,who had fought lightweights, welters' and even middles and actually thrived on their punches. They said it was impossible to knock him clean out. . . "Yet Collins finished him m two rounds, and Casey did so m one session. Both knockouts were anything but satisfactory, but nevertheless they were knockouts! "When Rice first arrived here he refused to recognise Mr. G. Calnan as representative of his manager m England, Charlie Lucas. He refused to pay Lucas his percentage. "During the past week or so Mr. Calnan received power of attorney from Lucas and Rice was compelled to pay. He was naturally annoyed. "He has been discontented since he first landed. Many postponements of his first contest began that discontent. He was not at all fascinated with our fair land and made no secret of it. And the betting boys made him a two to one on favorite against Casey. On form and reputation that was. just what the betting ought to have been. Which is also food for thought! Lots of people reckon that Rice is "yellow"—that he laid down. He certainly did lie down, and stayed down, but whether as the result of the punch or a temporary "heart attack" is best known to himself. "In two contests Rice has shown himself more adept at taking counts than anything else. His performances merit all the hard things that have been said about the alleged softness of his head. : "For Australia he is finished. " 'Confound it all, 1 said Mr. Munro after the fiasco; 'what is the matter with that man?' "'Another imported millstone about your neck,' we sympathised. " 'Millstone,' growled the matchmaker; 'tombstone, I call it!' "Yes, there is much woe m the Stadium camp!"